Serving Others Above Yourself

 

Serving Others Above Yourself

Serving others is something many people do.  I grew up watching my parents serve the community in various capacities for the majority of their adult lives.  I watched the impact they had on people and saw the joy they got out of living a servant based life.  My dad was a police officer and he served the people diligently.  My mom was a school custodian and cafeteria worker and she worked so hard to prepare the food and serve it to the kids.  She always spoke so kindly to every kid, every day and they loved her for that.  We all have the opportunity to serve others and put them above us. Christ called us to serve others and he lived a life of service in his short time on earth.  

Jesus prioritized us over his own needs and wants.  He was the most powerful man to ever walk the earth.  He could have walked right away from the cross and did what he wanted to do.  Instead he gave the ultimate example of having a servants heart.  He gave his life so we could have eternal life.  I learned to serve from a young age as my parents would have me and my brothers going around the neighborhood mowing yards, plowing fields and taking out the trash for elderly folks.  They taught us the value of people and how special one small act of kindness at a time made such a huge impact on other lives.

My parents worked all day and served on most nights at church, school, ballfields and helping people in the community.  My dad would police all day and then ride around after work and fix pipes, flooring and roofs for people on his route that could not do it themselves.  My mom would always help her fellow custodians out so they could get home a little early.  She would cook for people, serve as a church leader and clean people's houses for free.  Watching them serve made me want to serve and when both passed away people lined up for hours to honor them.  

To see that example made me want to set the same example for my kids.  I have served for over thirty years as a coach, mentor, teacher and community leader in an attempt to be half the person my parents were.  A servant's heart is open, it is loving, it is unselfish and it is love.  God is love, so what better way can we honor him than by doing small things for others, that add up to huge things for the world.  I tell my students all the time to serve others, love people, respect others and honor them.  My dad once told me “to find something I loved and do it without hope of nothing more than changing lives doing it”.  He was a wise man and my mom was a shining star that impacted so many lives.  I honor them with this blog entry today!  

1- Are you willing to serve others and put them above you?

2- Are you seeking God’s guidance in your servant life?

Romans 12:11, Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

1st Peter 4:10, As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.

Lord, help me to live a life of servanthood.  One that shines your light into the world and makes people's lives better one small moment at time.  Amen